Gone
by Lady Pirate 1214
Summary: The long awaited sequel to "Forgotten". Follow Arael once more as she scrapes together what's left of her life and attempts to move on. What she doesn't expect is the interference of the Spirit World as the portals are opened. Spans across Books Two and Three.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Well, hello loves! It seems like it's been a long time since I uploaded anything here. As promised, I have begun the sequel to "Forgotten"! I apologize for the delay (although I warned you about it), but I had absolutely no idea how I was even going to start this thing until the series came to an end. Although it no longer will be illustrated for us in moving pictures, it still lives on in our hearts and imaginations and I am determined to spill mine onto virtual paper for all of you. So, for those of you new to my fan series, please read "Forgotten" before you read "Gone" lest I leave you completely baffled and confused (and not to mention having the first story spoiled)! Enjoy!

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><p>The gentle lapping of waves was the first sound to touch Arael's ears. She wondered briefly if perhaps she had fallen asleep at the beach. Her mind was fuzzy, like she had slept for a long time and she shifted her position slightly, only to stop when she realized she wasn't on a towel on the sand. Instead, warm covers were pulled up to her shoulders and she was laying on a very comfortable bed. Had she dreamt about the waves? No, she could still hear the steady lapping sound. Her world seemed to sway in rhythm with it and she thought maybe she was going crazy. Slowly, her blue eyes opened and her unclear vision was greeted by a dim light.<p>

Blinking, she sat up and glanced around, confused. This wasn't her bed. She touched the scarlet fabric of the bedspread, confused further by how soft it was. Lifting her eyes, she glanced about the room, taking in the sparse yet lavish furniture. A dresser to her left and a desk strewn with papers, both bolted to the floor. The walls were painted the same shade of scarlet and as she took it in, she noticed they were metal. Her gaze stopped on a tapestry hanging on the wall with the Fire Nation insignia woven into it. Where was she?

Pulling the covers aside, she slid her legs over the side of the bed, putting her bare feet on the cold metal floor. Was she in a cell? She frowned and glanced around, noticing a door on the other side of the room. It didn't have any bars, but she would try it just to make sure. Pushing herself up, she gasped as her legs gave out beneath her and she fell forward, grabbing on to the dresser for support. What was wrong with her? She leaned against both the dresser and wall, letting her legs slowly adjust to her weight. Now that she was standing, she noticed the room really was rocking. Was she on a boat? That would explain the metal walls, the sound of water, and the bolted down furniture.

Finally steady on her feet and curious of where she was, she slowly approached the desk and picked up a few of the papers. She scanned over them, unable to understand anything except that they were coordinates and different positions of various ships. She set them down and let out a slow breath, skimming the other papers and parchments on the desk for any clues of where she was. She noticed a large map of the world spread underneath the mess and tilted her head to look at the markings on it.

"Find anything interesting?"

She jumped at the smooth voice from behind her and turned to find General Iroh standing in the doorway. He had his arms crossed over his broad chest and a small smile played on his lips as he leaned against the door frame. He was dressed in casual attire which confused her further.

"I was just trying to figure out where I am," she said defensively, crossing her arms and leaning her hip against the desk. He frowned and pushed off the doorway, approaching her steadily and reaching out to cup her chin. He gently tilted her face up so she was looking at him and his golden eyes studied hers intently. She was shocked by his sudden proximity and stood frozen for a moment before pulling out of his reach.

"What are you doing?" she asked harshly, moving backwards with a scowl on her face.

He held his hands up and made no move to approach her. "I just wanted to make sure Korra didn't do anything to mess with your head." He dropped his arms and gave her a small smirk. "I think you're fine. Just as strong-willed as I remember."

"What are you talking about? Where am I?" she asked bluntly, a little miffed that he seemed to enjoy her confusion.

"My ship. We thought it would be the safest place for you after the trial."

She frowned and looked away, the memories quickly returning of her trial. And the verdict. Suddenly, she became painfully aware of the water lapping against the other side of the wall. She turned her head toward it, wondering if the people who put her here realized how cruel they were truly being. She couldn't feel it anymore. The pull toward the water was just a quickly fading memory in the back of her mind. Her heart ached and she wrapped her arms around herself, not caring about how pitiful she looked to the man before her.

"Who's 'we?'" she asked slowly, lifting her eyes to meet his even gaze.

"You're father and I. Your boyfriend wasn't too fond of the idea."

Mako. "Where is he?"

"Who, Mako? He's back in Republic City. I heard he got a job on the police force."

Arael frowned at his words, growing confused once more. "What do you mean 'back in Republic City?'"

He was quiet for a moment, seeming to realize that she didn't quite understand what he was getting at. "We're going to the Fire Nation. We should be arriving soon."

"Wait, I thought I was allowed to remain in Republic City," she said, her voice rising slightly as she began to grow upset.

"You were. You're father just thought it would be safer for you to skip town for a while. There are a lot of people who are upset with your participation in the Equalist movement and we think it's best you stay away until everything settles down."

"And nobody thought it was important to wait until I woke up to give my input on this?" she asked, her panic quickly changing to anger.

"We're just doing what's best for you, Arael," he told her, his voice and expression calm.

"Who are you to make that decision? Why are you even helping me?"

"Instead of asking why people are helping you, you should just be thankful," he said, his voice slightly terse as his eyebrow furrowed. "I am your only ally at the moment. All of Republic City sees you as the enemy. There was a crowd of protesters waiting outside of the courthouse who cheered when I carried you out unconscious because they thought you were dead. Your father needed to stay behind and help rebuild the city after Amon's reign of terror and I volunteered to take you to safety because there was nobody left. So just say thank you."

Arael was taken aback by his scolding and she had no other argument. Instead, she felt tears spring to her eyes and she slowly sunk to the floor, dropping her face into her hands. How could everything have gone so wrong? She was a convicted criminal, hated by all of Republic City. She had lost her way and now it lost her everything. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to those who were left that cared for her. Amon was dead. Her parents had sent her away. Mako had stayed behind. And now she was on a strange ship with a man she barely knew taking her to a place she'd never been, all because she was a bloodbender. No, she had _been_ a bloodbender. All that was left of her attachment to water was an empty cavern inside of her. She was utterly and completely alone.

Iroh cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in front of her. "I'm sorry. I know this is a lot for you to take in all at once. I'll, um…I'll bring back something for you to eat." The sound of footsteps leaving only made the emptiness more prevalent. Leaning her head back against the desk, she shut her eyes, feeling the unreachable fluid leak down her cheeks. None of this would have happened if Korra hadn't come. She was the one who disrupted all of their lives. But at the same time, it was Arael's own fault too. Her hatred for Korra had sent her straight into Amon's arms. If she had just tried harder to remain friends with the Avatar and hadn't let her emotions lead her like a child, it could have been avoided as well. She would still have Mako and Bolin. She would still have her bending.

The sound of footsteps returning cut through her thoughts and she quickly wiped away her tears, looking up as Iroh returned with a plate of food. He settled onto the floor beside her, assuming the same position as she was and held out the plate to her. She merely shook her head, dropping her eyes to her lap. "I'm not hungry," she murmured. The thought of eating made her sick to her stomach. Iroh sighed, setting the plate down on the floor beside him.

"You know, I remember you from when we were kids. My mother took many trips to Republic City back then for diplomatic reasons and I would always accompany her. My grandfather always insisted that family stay together because he lost his mother when he was young and his wife died long before I was born. We used to play together, but you were probably too young to remember. I was shocked when I heard about the trial. Every time I picture Arael Gan Ling, I think of the cute little three year old who would follow me everywhere and copy every single thing I did. Sure, I've seen you at a distance at balls and fundraisers, but the image of you when you were younger just stuck with me. So when I saw you at the trial, I just couldn't believe someone that innocent would be able to do the things you were accused of. I guess I was biased. It was two against one in the deliberations. I'm sure you figured Councilman Tenzin would vote in Korra's favor, but he didn't want you to die. He's watched you grow up. He wanted anything but your death. So I made the proposition that if Korra took your bending away, you wouldn't be perceived as a threat anymore and you could continue to live peacefully. I've experienced war before, and I've seen how hard it is to piece together a normal life after everything is destroyed. I'm trying to help you now. This is your chance to change for the better. But in order for that to happen, you need to come to terms with what happened and take care of yourself. You can start by eating this," he finished, holding the plate out to her.

Arael looked up at his offering, chewing on her lip as she thought about his words. He was right. she did need to come to terms with everything that happened. But he couldn't expect her to make a complete turn around and suddenly be okay with her misfortunes.

He could see her hesitation and he opened his mouth to speak again, but she cut him off. "Why did you make your judgment based on how I was as a child? That doesn't define who I am now."

He was quiet for a moment, before he let out a soft sigh. "Amon manipulated you and took advantage of you. He did that to a lot of people, yet they were allowed to return to their lives without being tried or found guilty for their involvement in the Equalist movement. It was only because of your abilities that you were put on trial. You aren't an inherently bad person because you can bloodbend, Arael. If you were, you would have been an evil child. Our abilities shouldn't define who we are, but how we apply them should. Your father was right; you eliminated a terrorist. You single-handedly saved Republic City. The means might not be ethical to most people, but I'm a soldier. I understand that sometimes there's only one option. You should be heralded as a hero because you did what no one else could."

She lifted her gaze to meet his and he gave her a halfhearted smile of encouragement. "Please eat."

She sighed and took the plate from him. He seemed pleased with himself for convincing her to eat and he got to his feet to leave her in peace. She thought over his words as she slowly began to eat. He was right that Amon had manipulated her and used her own emotions against her, but he hadn't made her hate Korra. That hatred had grown before he took her. He had given her the ability to bloodbend. But Iroh had made some valid points. It would be hard, but she would get past it.

When she ate as much as she could stomach, her eyes focused on the metal wall, listening to the temptation of the sea on the other side, taunting her with its constant lapping. She reached out mentally toward it, trying to feel it again, but all she grasped was nothing. The connection was broken. She had no contact with her element. Tears welled in her eyes once again at the emptiness she felt. How could she have let Amon do this to so many people? It was the most awful feeling she could imagine, being unable to have what once you could. Surely Korra was pleased with herself now. There was nothing else that she could take away.

Korra didn't matter anymore, though. It was over between them. The Avatar won, which was good. Things would die down and eventually and Arael would be able to return home. For now, all she needed to focus on was getting through the time between the present and her return.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Seven Months Later…**_

A blast of fire whizzed by, inches from her ear, and Arael instinctively ducked toward the ground, only to see another was coming at her straight on. She leapt out of the way and continued to twist and turn, duck and leap, weaving her way through the continual blasts of fire until she was too close to Iroh for him to safely use firebending. He engaged her in hand to hand combat, exchanging blows and punches ruthlessly. He'd learned quickly in their time together not to go easy on her. It was only a moment before his leg buckled beneath him from a blow to the back of his calf, sending him to his knees, and Arael held her hand against his throat, a pleased smile on her lips. He looked up at her with amused golden eyes, knocking her hand away and climbing to his feet.

"I was distracted."

She snorted at his excuse, walking to the edge of the court yard to grab a towel and wipe the sheen of sweat from her face. "Never heard that one before." She turned toward him, giving him a small knowing smile as he approached and grabbed his own towel.

Sparring had become a regular hobby between the two ever since Arael had arrived at the Fire Nation Palace. She needed something to distract her from her thoughts and it had proven the perfect way to do just that as well as help her stay in shape. It surprised her at first how well she could keep up with the Fire Nation General, but it became apparent that her training with Amon had not been only self-defense. He had created an army of close combat fighters. It had never dawned on her while she worked with her cousin, but she was almost proud of the skill she had learned, even if she now considered that portion of her life one of her darkest moments.

They hadn't initially started out so roughly. Iroh had been worried about accidentally harming her, although he quickly learned that the girl could hold her own, as well as take a beating. After all, she had been a Pro-Bender for a while. She was used to falling off an arena and being hit with earth discs. When they got bored, they added new challenges, and eventually, she convinced him to let loose and use firebending. Her reflexes had certainly improved after being singed a couple of times.

As was their ritual after a work out, the two sat down at a waiting table for tea. Iroh flipped the radio on and Korra's voice came through, crackling at first as it warmed up and then smoothing out: "…guide the world toward peace and balance. Harmonic Convergence has caused a shift in the planet's energy, I can feel it. Things will never be the same again. We are entering a new age."

Arael lifted her gaze curiously to the firebender across from her. She hadn't realized that something had been occurring big enough to concern the Avatar. Iroh sighed at her look, and she could immediately tell that he knew something about whatever Korra was talking about. She looked at him expectantly and waited for him to explain further.

"There was a civil war between the Water Tribes recently and Korra's uncle went power crazy and somehow managed to involve the Spirits. It doesn't really concern us, to be honest. Avatar Korra took care of everything before the fleet was needed."

Arael nodded slowly, a little confused by the brief explanation, but not too concerned with what it implicated. However, she did grow a little curious. "Does this make my trial old news?"

Iroh shrugged. "I'll have to send a message to your father to see how things are going."

Arael nodded, despite how frustrating his vague answer was. Although Iroh had taken good care of her since he brought her to the Fire Nation, it was obvious that he was acting as her jailer in a way. She was allowed to do as she pleased throughout the palace, but there was always someone around to keep an eye on her. And she was never allowed to leave the confines of the palace, especially alone. Iroh wasn't around a whole lot because of his duties with the First Division of the United Forces, so Arael was mostly left to her own devices. This included Pai Sho with the guards and reading anything she found interesting in the vast library. Occasionally, she would be honored with the presence of former Fire Lord Zuko, who would request she humor an old man with a game of Pai Sho or a cup of tea. He didn't seem to dislike her at all and often told her stories of his younger life when he worked with and against Avatar Aang. He seemed to understand that there were two sides to every story and he didn't have any animosity toward her after her previous actions. She rarely saw Fire Lord Izumi, who didn't seem fond of her at all, and Arael knew well enough to stay out of her way.

"Will you send the message soon?" she asked, her voice a little hesitant. She hated to ask much more from Iroh, but she really wanted to get back to Republic City and return to a somewhat normal life.

Iroh gave her an unreadable look, one of his practiced political strategies. "It will get done. For now, I think it's best you get to bed. We trained pretty late."

Arael nodded, rising to her feet and slinging her towel over her shoulder. It was best that she didn't push things with him. After all, she was far from his first priority. Returning to her room, she changed out of her sweaty clothes and rinsed off before sliding into her bed. She was finally alone, despite the guard standing outside of her bedroom door.

In these moments, her heart ached for Mako. It had been two months since she had last heard from him. They had to keep in contact through letters and his response to her last one never came. She missed him horribly and she worried that something must have come up to stop his letters. They had become increasingly distant and she worried that he had given up on her returning home.

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><p>The following day, Arael had felt…different. Not a bad different, but something along the lines of more aware. She felt more alert and noticed more things that usually didn't catch her attention. She certainly felt livelier. Some spark had been put back into her personality. Iroh had noticed a change over dinner and commented, but she just brushed it off. She didn't know what had gotten into her.<p>

During their sparring match, she was even more on top of her game. He couldn't touch her. She was fluid as water as she danced away from his flames and blocked his blows. She could tell that Iroh was growing increasingly frustrated. His attacks were becoming more violent, his punches more deliberate. When they started again after she defeated him for a fourth time, he was the first to make a move. He sent a rather forceful bout of fire out before she was ready. Instinctively, she pulled her arms in, closing her eyes against the inevitable blast.

There was a loud sizzle, a gasp from Iroh, and no intense burn from the flames.

"Arael."

She peeked out from between her arms in her crouched position, catching a glimpse of the look of absolute disbelief on his face. The ground was wet in front of them, the water in the turtle duck pond beside them swishing like it had been disturbed.

"How?" Iroh was at a loss for words, grasping for something to say, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Slowly unfolding from her defensive position, Arael got to her feet, her eyes falling to the pond. She could_ feel_ it. The water. That was why she had felt so different that day. She felt whole again. With a giddy laugh, she pulled a pillar of water out of the pond, freezing it in place and then letting it collapse back into liquid form. She thought she would never feel the bond with her element again.

"I need to report this," Iroh said suddenly, turning and starting to walk in a daze out of the courtyard.

"Wait! Iroh!" Arael ran after him, stopping straight in front of him and throwing her arms out as if to block him from leaving. "Please don't tell them. We can keep it a secret."

He frowned at her request, brushing past her. "I'm not going to lie to them. This is information they need to know."

"Please, I won't do it in front of anyone," she begged, following after him.

"Arael, stop!" She stopped in her tracks at the biting tone, shocked by the authority in his voice. "I have to report this. It's my duty." He seemed to recognize that he had hurt her and his expression softened. "I'm sorry." He turned and continued into the palace, stopping only to tell a guard to keep a closer eye on her.

Arael watched, heartbroken as he left. How could he do that to her? She was whole again and he wanted to take what she had already lost away again. She couldn't go through that again; the months of depression and emptiness. It had taken a lot to pull her out of the slum she had been in and he wanted to send her straight back into it. She couldn't do it. She _wouldn't_ do it.

Turning on her heels, she darted toward the turtle duck pond and dove in, relishing in the feeling of the water on her skin as she pulled it to her, surrounding herself in it and cushioning her dive before she hit the bottom. There were muffled shouts coming through the bubble of peace she had created, but she didn't care. She would rather die wrapped in the loving arms of her element than have it ripped away from her soul once more. There were hands tugging on her, trying to rip her away now but she resisted, clinging tightly to the part of her she could never lose again. The air had left her lungs and the world was starting to fade. She didn't care. As long as she had water, she would die happily.


End file.
